Monthly Archives: March 2019

Here is an activity that is widespread in the United States and much less in Europe: home staging. We can consider this as real estate marketing. The goal is to value a property to sell or rent.

Model 1 done with archiplain

We consider that a sale is made in the first moments of the visit. The first impression is therefore essential. Buyers must be able to imagine themselves in the house that will become their place of life. Several problems can appear:

House too old and damaged, except for those who want to renovate but offer a price too low

House without furniture and decoration that gives the impression that no one has lived inside

House with too much decoration, too personalized

To avoid these three problems, home staging, which appeared in the United States in the 1970s, has become an almost unavoidable practice. First proposed by professionals of the decoration, it is proposed more and more by the real estate agents. Thus, real estate agents can earn a sales commission on the house while saving time on the sale and why not make a profit on home staging benefits.

Model 2 done with archiplain

Let’s talk price: home staging rarely exceeds 5% of the sales price. But that allows two things:

Speed up the selling time

Increase the selling price, sometimes from 10 to 20%.

What should be done for home staging?:

Clean the house or apartment

Mowing the lawn and trimming the hedges

Repaint the walls in a neutral color, if possible white

Remove as much furniture as possible and leave only those who showcase the house

Repairing minor damage, such as a broken electrical outlet, a small hole in a wall, a bulb that does not work

Thoroughly clean the bathroom and toilets

Air the house or apartment before visits to feel fresh and eliminate odors

Then, make a plan of house or apartment on a software like archiplain and offer a free access to your customers who will be able to put their furniture and decorations in this accommodation.

The real estate market is huge. First, because everyone wants to own their house or apartment. Because rents in big cities are becoming more expensive. And because you can not decorate your home as you wish. For example, some homeowners prohibit tenants from planting nails in walls. And if the tenant does it, the landlord asks for compensation money.

These are not the only reasons. Borrowing rates are historically very low because inflation is low and the economy is good. Bringing money is interesting because you do not pay much interest.

Then you have to make a profitability calculation. Estimate the total amount of rent for 20 years, and compare it with a loan to buy his property. The calculation is quite complex because it is necessary to estimate:

The evolution of the interest rates,

The family stability (a divorce, and the calculations are to remake completely …),

The evolution of the place in which you live ( construction of a railway line nearby,a road,a shopping center, a school),

Pollution,

The passage of planes above,

The presence of termites.

There is no hard and fast rule about whether to buy or rent a property. We can just give some indications. For example, buying in a big city is often better than renting. But it is sometimes very expensive and even impossible, like:

New York

San Francisco

Paris

London

And if the rent is much lower than the repayment amount of a loan, it may be better to pay rent and keep the rest of the money to enjoy life.

Just a piece of information that can help you: if you want to buy a house or an apartment, you know that the price will depend on the surface of the property. And a difference of a few square feet or square meters can vary the price. One solution is to buy a laser range finder, which is not too expensive, and put these measurements in a house plan software as an archiplain. If the real estate agent does not want it, negotiate to take at least the measurements of one or two rooms and say that it is to be able to arrange the furniture.

Sadly, two designers died in February 2019. Of course, we all know Karl Lagerfeld, Chanel’s famous fashion designer. But who knows Italian architect and designer Alessandro Mendini? He is known for having designed the Groninger Museum and the Proust Armchair.

First, 6 very promising Chinese designers. Many things are happening right now in China, which is not just the manufacturer of all the objects in the world. The Chinese also do a lot of things in creation. It will undoubtedly be necessary to follow the future of these creators:

Creation from China

And then back to France, country of fashion, luxury, and design as Jean Nouvel. Here is a selection of the best influencers designers:

Creation from France

Sebastian Herkner is also one of the most promising designers of his time:

Sebastian Herkner

And finally, some trophies proposed by designers to modernize these objects:

Home building designs have become increasingly important. The architects’ efforts to find a solution to the difficulties of our time are there to testify.

Take climate change as an example. Many experts predict that the climate will change, that the melting of glaciers will raise the level of the seas and oceans, and that storms and hurricanes will become more and more powerful resulting in larger rain events. A British project plans to build floating houses to overcome this difficulty:

Floating house

A second project plans to build a simple structure including a canoe and kayaks, with a container containing all the material. The whole is raised so as not to be damaged by the soil and the water:

Canoe and kayak structure

Finally, a modular housing system makes it possible to store equipment to allow people to live, like refugees. This system was initially planned to find a housing solution in the event of an earthquake but it could quite be adapted in case of global warming:

Modular housing system

Want to create your own surviving housing system in case of climate or other problem? So, start by making a plan on an online software like archiplain, then build a propotype that you install in your garden. And finally, take a week of vacation and vice versa to perfect autonomy in your home. Last point: write down all the problems you encounter, they will help you improve your home.

Difficult question without a simple answer. You have those who prefer 3D, which gives them a better representation in space. But you should know that the ceiling height is usually 2.5 meters, or 8.2 feet. This height is therefore standard. Moreover, the constituent elements of a room are most often on the floor. Which means that in most cases, it is not useful to have a representation in space.
Another important thing. When you live in a house or an apartment, you walk on the floor. Our vision of our environment is therefore constantly in the middle of the height of the room, and down to avoid obstacles. Finally, the light is high and can affect our vision if we look at it directly (especially in our time with the development of LEDs). It is therefore preferable to have a 2D house plan that will respect our usual vision.

Home plan 2D

You have certainly heard of these amusement parks that offer you to enter a house that is wobbly, ie the floor of the rooms is not horizontal. In some cases, the house is upside down, the ceiling down and the floor up. This is a very useful experience because it is realized that the room’s provisions are very disturbing. It feels like the house is completely different when it is simply upside down.
In conclusion, you can still use a software like archiplain who makes plans in 2D and that amply enough. But if you like 3D, you can experiment.

In Europe, many cafes are in danger of disappearing. For a long time, these cafes were a place where people gathered, either after mass on Sunday, after work before going home, or in the morning before going to work. Some only had a small coffee, others had a glass of wine. And it must be said, many elderly or isolated benefited to have a social link with the people of the village.

Cafe In Vancouver

First of all, a charming Italian style cafe. Everything has been thought of, including the shelf on the side with a little groceries, the counter, the posters with the menus. Notice the small shelf in the corner of the counter.

Cafe In Vancouver

Cafe bar in Stockholm

In Europe, we like to keep certain traditions. This is the case in Sweden, in Stockholm. The spirit of the Old has been preserved even though everything seems new. When we look at the window, we want one thing, enter the shop to enjoy a good coffee or drink a small glass of wine (French of course, but I accept California wine).

Cafe bar in Stockholm

Bar in Hongkong

Now a restaurant in Hong Kong that also bar. Look at the counter and the shelves above filled with boxes, the tables tidy with the lights above.